Festivals 2018/19

Leonard Bernstein, master of American musical theatre as well as a gifted composer and conductor, would have turned 100 years old in 2018. A good enough reason to celebrate him and his oeuvre for an entire weekend: with the première of Barrie Kosky’s production of Candide; with the Symphony No. 2 The Age of Anxiety, whose piano part – interpreted by Turkish star pianist Fazıl Say – transforms the work into more of a solo concert; and with the classic movie On the Waterfront, for which Bernstein wrote the music and which earned a young Marlon Brando his first Oscar. Chamber concerts; a lunch talk co-organised with the American Academy on the socio-political dimensions of Bernstein’s work; and a dinner with live music, table talks by companions and admirers, and the maestro’s favourite dishes round off the three-day birthday party.

The tango combines passion and melancholy, pride and yearning, and means one thing above all else: unbounded sensuality! Following the successful Tango Festival of the 2014/15 season, tango will once again conquer the stage, auditorium and foyer of the Komische Oper Berlin for the space of a weekend: for 48 sensual hours, there will be musical performances, listening, and of course dancing deep into the night.

Have you missed the odd première this season? In the mood for an evening of opera with an atmosphere that appeals to all the senses? No problem! During the Komische Oper Festival, the opera house on the Behrenstraße marks the end of the season by showcasing the full variety of the current new productions on six consecutive evenings – with a special accompanying programme for the ears, eyes, taste buds and intellect. Each evening, in addition to the production itself, audiences can expect music in the foyer, welcome drinks, interesting introductory talks before the performance and exciting discussions with the artists involved afterwards. Since 2008, the Komische Oper Berlin has been inviting audiences from Berlin, Germany and abroad to enjoy or experience for the first time the opera house’s latest productions in this condensed festival format that appeals to all the senses.